It’s prejudice against gays that is the real evil

Star Parker’s Tuesday column, “There’s no such thing as a ‘gay conservative,’” is such a logical mess it is difficult to know where to start.

Apparently, to her, being accepting of gays is a sign of being a materialist with no sense of values. At least, no sense of Parker’s values, which she maintains reflect “eternal truths passed down from the beginning of time.” Let us examine this first.

Parker considers homosexuality evil. This is presumably an “eternal truth.” Well, it wasn’t a “truth” in ancient Greece or ancient Rome; it wasn’t a “truth” among Native American tribes. So what Parker really means is that it is a timeless, eternal truth in Judaeo-Christian culture.

Very well. Let’s accept for the moment that Judaeo-Christian culture has the lock on objective truth. A cursory look at the Old Testament shows us that polygamy was perfectly acceptable — an eternal truth, at least at that time. Jacob had two wives; David and Solomon had God knows how many wives and concubines; Abraham had a wife and a concubine. All were favored by God, so it must have been moral and right. Of course, we don’t think so now.

But that means that truth changes, doesn’t it? As the culture changes, as we understand more, our truths change.

Second, I’m not, in fact, “value-neutral,” as Parker suggests I must be if I don’t share her beliefs. I have a very strong sense of values, just as she does. I do not happen to share her belief that gays are evil and immoral. I do, however, believe that prejudice against gays is extremely immoral.

I’m pleased Parker turned her life around, but in the end, I really don’t see what that has to do with her entrenched homophobia.